


Bonding

by RenegadeDreamer



Category: Uta no Prince-sama
Genre: Fluff, Humor, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-23
Updated: 2018-03-23
Packaged: 2019-04-07 02:35:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,143
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14071032
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RenegadeDreamer/pseuds/RenegadeDreamer
Summary: Camus didn't know why it bothered him when Cecil hung out with Ranmaru. The more time Cecil spent with Ranmaru, the more time Cecil was out of his hair. But bother him it did.Or: Cecil bonds with his senpais. Hijinks ensue.





	Bonding

Camus frowned at the sight of Cecil sitting close to and staring intently at Ranmaru as the rock idol played on his bass. As he played, he was giving the younger man tips on how to hold a guitar and how to project your voice so it could be heard over a loud instrument or background music. He didn’t know why it bothered him so much. The more time they spent together, the less Cecil was around to annoy him. Still, it did bother him very much, for reasons unfathomable to him. The blonde idol strode up to them and said, “Aijima. Don’t you think you’re monopolizing too much of Kurosaki’s time? He has his own kouhais to look after.”

Cecil gave him a confused look. “Huh? But Ranmaru-senpai said it’s OK!”

Ranmaru stopped playing and looked at Camus. “Hm? What’s the problem? The kid just wants advice, and you’re always complaining he’s annoying. Not my fault you suck so much he’d rather hang out with me.” Then, as if realizing something, a smirk spread on the rock idol’s face. “Hey Cecil. Repeat after me. Rock you!”

“Rock you!”

“Louder!”

“ROCK YOU!”

“Now on my count. One...two…three!” Then in unison, the two shouted, “ROCK YOU!”

Camus groaned. “The world does not need two Kurosakis. One of you is bad enough. Anyway, I have need of Aijima. Aijima, come here.”

Ranmaru slung an arm around Cecil’s shoulders. “Nope, sorry, I got him for the afternoon. You can have him back later.” He led Cecil away as the prince let out a laugh and put an arm around him in return.

Camus shook his head as he watched them go. “This is utterly ridiculous.” 

\---------------------------------

“Aijima.”

“Yes, Camus-senpai?”

“You’ve been spending all your time following Kurosaki around like a lost stray cat. Sloth is unbecoming of an idol. Did you even do the assignment you were given?”

Cecil handed him a bundle of papers. The thickness indicated it was longer than what he’d assigned. Cecil noticed Camus staring at the papers and asked, “Camus-senpai? Is that not what you asked for?”

Camus hadn’t expected to actually receive anything. Usually Cecil would hand things in at the last minute or past the deadline he gave him, and only after much prodding. “It is. It seems your work ethic has improved a bit. I suppose some credit is due.”

The younger man smiled. “Oh good!”

“But. Do not think this means you can be complacent. An idol must always strive to do better. And you still have a long way to go.”

“Yes, Camus-senpai!”

“You’ve…exceeded expectations just handing this in. An adequate effort.”

“Thank you Camus-senpai! I want to shine just as bright as Ranmaru-senpai!”

The last sentence set Camus’s teeth on edge. “Hm. It’s commendable of you to be taking your idol studies more seriously, but you’re making a poor choice in role model. Not to mention your misattribution of credit when it comes to your tutelage.”

Cecil simply stared at his senpai, as if scrutinizing his expression. “Are you…jealous, Camus-senpai?”

Camus sputtered for a moment before standing up straighter, refusing to let on just how close to the mark his kouhai was. “Don’t be ridiculous. I would never lower myself to feel such a useless base emotion. It simply reflects poorly on me for my kouhai to be relying so much on someone else’s senpai. Besides,” he jabbed the tip of his scepter into Cecil’s chest. “There is nothing that buffoon can teach you, for I am the superior idol. So you should only come to me for advice.” Camus didn’t know why he’d said that last part, but he supposed he simply didn’t want all the time he’d invested in teaching Cecil to be wasted, even if he only did it out of obligation initially. If there’s one thing Camus did not do, it was use his time inefficiently.

Cecil rubbed the spot on his chest where he was poked. “At least Ranmaru-senpai doesn’t treat me like a slave!”

“What was that? You don’t have enough work to do?”

“Uh, no, nothing!” Cecil quickly retreated from the room, not wanting yet another onerous assignment dropped on him.

\---------------------------------

Camus was putting the finishing touches on a banana split covered in a tall elaborate tower of chocolate, caramel, sprinkles, and whipped cream when suddenly a loud stilted voice yelled, “BANANA IS PERFECT!”

Startled, his hand jerked and caused part of the banana split tower to collapse to one side. He whirled his head to the source of the voice. “What did you just say?!” 

“Ranmaru-senpai told me to say that while practicing projecting my voice! He also taught me some other words too!” Cecil proceeded to unleash a litany of curse words, including some combinations Camus had never heard of before. He groaned and rubbed his temples.

“Stop listening to everything that foul-mouthed idiot says! First off, you’re loud enough already. Second, maybe you should master one language before taking on another. Third, such uncouth language reflects poorly on you.”

“B-but it doesn’t seem to negatively affect Ranmaru-senpai!”

“Well you’re not him, now are you? Besides, you should be trying to project your own image as an idol, not imitate someone else’s.”

Cecil paused in contemplation. “You…might have a point there.”

“I always do. Now then, since you ruined the first batch, I need you to get another set of these ingredients.”

“What, now? But…”

“Hm? Do you have a problem with that? I can always find you something else to do.”

“N-no, I’m going now!”

\---------------------------------

Camus stormed up to Ranmaru as the latter was in the midst of his usual bass strumming session. “Stop teaching Aijima weird things! In fact stop teaching him things at all!”

Ranmaru shrugged. “Hey, I’m not about to turn the kid away if you can’t do your job right.” He grinned. “I’d be happy to take him off your hands, actually.”

Camus stood up straighter and tightened his grip on his scepter. “No. The senpai-kouhai relationship is absolute.”

“You sure? You’re always complaining about him.”

“I do not shirk my responsibilities. No matter how…onerous.”

“Onerous? I dunno, man, I find him more fun to hang out with than Hijirikawa or Jinguji.”

“Are you saying you can’t handle your kouhais?”

“No, but the fact you whine about Cecil so much seems to indicate you’re the one that can’t handle it. He seems like the type that’s easy to get along with. Except with you, apparently.”

“Interesting how you’re less formal addressing him than your own kouhais. We’re supposed to be raising idols, not be their friends!”

“Who says we can’t do both? It’s not my fault you can’t multitask. And are you even teaching him anything? It seems more like you’re treating him as a servant.”

Camus crossed his arms. “How I treat him is my business.”

“Whatever. Now go away, I’m still practicing here.”

“Hmph.” Having said his piece, the count departed, trailed by the sounds of the rock idol’s bass.

\---------------------------------

Cecil was sitting on his bed, earbuds in both ears. “Ranmaru-senpai’s eyes are just so beautiful,” he murmured to himself, a faraway look on his face.

Camus walked over and pulled out one of his earbuds. “If you have time to ogle him and daydream all day, you have time to work!”

Cecil leaned in close to Camus, until their noses were almost touching, startling the butler idol. “W-what do you think you are doing?”

The prince stared into the count’s eyes for a few more moments, then said, “Your eyes are also beautiful, Camus-senpai. Like the clear blue sky on a summer day. Though it’s hard to notice when you’re always glaring at me.”

Camus could feel his cheeks grow warmer. He thought Cecil’s eyes were just as beautiful, the emerald color a striking contrast against his tan skin. But he was too prideful to let that show. “Y-yes, well, at least you can appreciate beauty. N-now desist standing so close to me! Have you no shame?“ He swatted his kouhai with his scepter.

Cecil backed off, but had a bemused smile on his face. “Hm? Should I?”

Camus sighed. He’d almost forgotten what he’d wanted to tell him. He cleared his throat. “A-anyway, Aijima. Since you’ve been spending so much time with Kurosaki, I’m sure you’d like to show your appreciation for him. Bananas are his favorite, and I know just the perfect dessert for him.”

Cecil’s face lit up and he grinned eagerly. “Ooh, really? Tell me!”

“Even better - I will show you. Why don’t you text him and have him come meet us?” He beckoned Cecil to follow him into the kitchen and turned so that the younger man couldn’t see the small smirk beginning to creep up on his face. He instructed Cecil on how to prepare the ingredients as he prepared the pan and utensils needed.

After a short while, Ranmaru came in. “Oi, Cecil, you wanted to see me?” Then, upon seeing Camus was also in the room, “Oh, you’re here too.”

Cecil waved and said, “Ah, Ranmaru-senpai, just in time!”

“Uh? What is this?” He looked into the pan on the stove. “Are those…bananas?”

“Yes! Camus-senpai said they’re your favorite!”

“That’s right. Now, Aijima, do the honors!” Camus handed Cecil a match. 

Ranmaru’s eyes widened. He started to ask, “W-wait, what are you-“ before a flame rose up from the pan. He let out a howl of despair and fell to his knees. “What have you done?!”

Camus simply smiled. “Why, Kurosaki, that’s how you make a bananas foster. It’s a simple but delicious classic dessert.”

“What is going on here?” Ai asked as he entered the room. “And why is Ranmaru on the floor?” By this time the white-haired man had curled up into a fetal position and was whimpering. 

“Ah, hello Ai-senpai. Would you like to try some? I wanted to make something nice for Ranmaru-senpai, but he…uh, he seems to have a stomachache?” The prince cast a worried look at the rock idol.

Camus donned the smile he usually did while he was in his butler idol persona. “Come now Mikaze, you wouldn’t want Aijima’s hard work to go to waste, would you?”

Ai sighed, then took a banana from the fruit bowl and handed it to Ranmaru. “It’s alright, Ranmaru. There are plenty of bananas.”

Ranmaru clutched the banana to his chest while muttering to himself, “Banana is perfect.”

“Ai-senpai, here,” Cecil said as he held out a plate.

Ai took the proffered plate. “Thank you, Cecil.” He narrowed his eyes at his bandmate. “Honestly, Camus.”

Camus’s smile shifted into one that was meant to be angelic, but Ai knew better. “Hm? I haven’t done anything wrong. I was simply teaching Aijima a new dish.”

Ai sighed again before taking a bite of the bananas foster.

\---------------------------------

“Oi, Cecil!”

“Hi, Ranmaru-senpai! Uh…are you feeling any better? You didn’t have any of the dessert I made.”

“Ah, sorry about that, kid.” He quickly changed the subject, not wanting to dwell on that embarrassing display. “But…um, since you like to cook, you want to try making something for Camus?”

“Sure, OK. What do you have in mind?”

“Well you know he likes sweets, right?”

“Yes! He’s always making me wait in line early in the morning or sending me out late at night for some new pastry or rice cake or something. He can be so cold-hearted!” He sighed and looked a bit wistful. “I wish I knew how to get past that.”

Ranmaru laughed, choosing to selectively ignore the last part. “He sure is. And I know just the way to warm him up!”

Cecil’s eyes lit up in curiosity. “Oh? How?”

“Come here and I’ll show you.“

They both walked into the kitchen. Cecil looked between the piles of chocolate and peppers. “You can eat chocolate with peppers?”

“Of course you can. They make just about anything covered in chocolate, and it’s not like that sugar fanatic would ever reject anything sweet. Now make sure to cut the peppers up nice and small! I’ll start melting the chocolate.”

As Cecil chopped the peppers, he examined the molds nearby. “The patterns on the molds are so pretty. Camus-senpai is going to be impressed!”

Ranmaru’s mischievous smirk widened. “Yeah, he will.”

Just then Reiji walked in. “Oh my, what have we here?”

“Oh, Reiji-senpai! Ranmaru-senpai is helping me make some chocolates for Camus-senpai!”

Reiji grinned and clapped his hands together. “Oooooh, chocolates! Let me help! You’re trying to make them spicy?”

“Yeah, that jackass eats too many sweets as is.”

“He does, he does, that silly Myu-chan. And it’d be interesting to watch him sweat for once. You know what would make these even spicier? This!” The clown idol took out a bottle of capsaicin drops.

“Why do you- you know what, don’t answer that, just give them here,” Ranmaru said, thrusting out a hand.

Reiji held the bottle away. “Ah ah! Not unless I can help too!”

“No, you’ll just ruin everything.”

“Well,” Cecil cut in. “It might be faster with another person to help.”

“See see, Cesshi gets it!”

“Fine, whatever, just don’t mess anything up.”

With Reiji’s help, they were quickly finished with chopping and mixing everything together and pouring the melted chocolate into the molds. They’d even sprinkled edible gold dust into the molds before pouring in the chocolate to add a lustrous sheen that highlighted the intricate patterns. They placed the molds in the freezer so the chocolates would harden faster.

Once the chocolates were solid, they arranged the chocolates on a serving platter rimmed with gold, which Cecil carried to the room he shared with Camus. “Camus-senpai! Look, Ranmaru-senpai and Reiji-senpai helped me make these for you!“

The blonde idol looked up from his book and gazed at the chocolates, surprised at how well they would fit in with the desserts at the high-end cafes he frequented. “I must admit, these chocolates are rather aesthetically impressive.” Camus debated between the temptation of the decadent looking chocolates in front of him and the instinct to not trust anything Ranmaru and Reiji had a hand in. Ultimately, though, his sweet tooth (and, while he wouldn’t admit it even to himself, Cecil’s eager eyes) won. Upon taking a bite, he coughed and sputtered, face turning red. Sweat began to bead on his forehead. 

Cecil was split between being worried and stifling his laughter at the sight of his normally frosty senpai actually break a sweat and his composure. Upon seeing Camus’s frantic search for water, though, he put the chocolates on a table and went to retrieve a glass for him. 

“Camus-senpai, her-” In Camus’s haste he’d failed to notice Cecil’s relative position to him and the sought-after water he was offering, causing him to bump into him and knock the glass out of his hand. Growling to himself over his clumsiness, he took out the condensed milk he always carried and gulped it down, panting heavily once the milk was finished. The whole time Reiji and Ranmaru were holding their sides and laughing to the point both were short of breath. 

“Ahahaha, the look on your stupid face!”

“Yeah, Ran-Ran! This was the best idea ever!” 

“What’s all this noise?” Masato demanded, having heard the commotion and come in to determine the source.

“None of your business,” Ranmaru replied.

“I don’t know. I wanted to make Camus-senpai a treat, but they…don’t seem to agree with him. The same thing happened when I tried to make Ranmaru-senpai something. I keep wanting to make them something nice, and each time it turns out all wrong,” Cecil answered.

Masato frowned. “And who was helping you each time?”

“Well, Camus-senpai helped me with Ranmaru-senpai’s food, and Ranmaru-senpai and Reiji-senpai helped me with Camus-senpai’s.” 

“I see.” Masato turned to the named senpais. “I don’t normally speak out against those senior to me, but exploiting someone junior to you for your childish pranks is disgraceful behavior! You should be ashamed!”

“So…they were just…using me…?” Cecil asked in a small voice. 

“Aijima. You cannot blindly believe anything anyone tells you. You must have more caution than that,” Masato advised.

Cecil turned away, dejected, then quickly ran out of the room.

Camus simply shot Masato an icy glare before walking off, not deigning to respond. Ranmaru regarded his kouhai coolly. “Seems you’ve been hanging out too much with Jinguji,” he said before likewise leaving.

\---------------------------------

Cecil settled into his favorite spot at the park. It always relaxed him to just sit outside quietly in the sunlight. He thought he’d been bonding with the two older idols. He was happy to finally have a mentor who was willing to actually mentor (and show him any warmth) in Ranmaru, and he’d thought he’d gotten just a little closer to meeting Camus’s exacting standards. He’d hoped that his strict senpai might warm up to him at least a bit if he managed to impress him.

“Oi, Cecil.”

Cecil looked up at the source of the voice. “Ranmaru-senpai. Did you need something?” The greeting was more perfunctory than his previous cheery ones. Ranmaru blinked at the change in attitude. 

“Cecil…um, I actually came here to apologize.”

Cecil looked down at the grass. “You don’t have to. Maybe it was my fault for being so naive, like Hijirikawa said.”

Ranmaru sat down next to Cecil. “Yes, I do. And no, look Cecil, it’s true that that pompous ass could be taken down a few pegs, and I enjoy doing it. But I…got carried away. I didn’t mean to drag you into it. I really do like spending time with you. So…I’m sorry.”

Cecil looked at him for a moment, then smiled. “You mean it?”

“Course I do.” 

Cecil wanted to believe him, but Masato’s words echoed in his head. “I…w-was Hijirikawa right?”

“Well, as much as I hate to admit it, he wasn’t completely wrong. But while I may be a lot of things, a liar isn’t one of them.” Cecil didn’t reply, only stared into Ranmaru’s eyes. After a while, the latter asked, “Uh…something on my face?”

“It’s so easy to get lost in your eyes. And…I feel like I can trust you.”

A small flush crept up on Ranmaru’s face and he broke eye contact. “Um, thanks. And…look, I’m happy to keep giving you advice if you need it. So…feel free to reach out to me anytime.” Ranmaru admitted to himself that he enjoyed spending time with the eager and easygoing boy, a contrast from the rebellious Ren and the stiffly formal Masato, and he didn’t want to see that time end.

Cecil’s smile widened into a grin. He pounced and wrapped his arms around the taller man. “Thank you Ranmaru-senpai!” 

The heterochromatic idol was nearly knocked back by the sudden hug, but was able to catch himself from falling back. He returned the hug and patted Cecil on the head. “Yeah, yeah.”

Just then Camus approached them. “Well isn’t this quite the sight. Aijima, come here.” The count grabbed the prince’s arm and dragged him on his feet and away from Ranmaru.

“Yo, what the hell, man?”

“Wh- ow, Camus-senpai, that hurts! Where are you taking me?”

“Just be quiet and come with me.”

The butler idol dragged him along in silence, ignoring his kouhai’s protests and questions. He pulled him into a private car that he had arranged to pick them up and gave the driver an address. Finally, they stopped in front of a large building with elaborate Agna-style architecture.

“This is our destination.” Camus’s first words since he’d dragged him away from Ranmaru.

Cecil’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of the building in front of him. “Huh? Why are we here?”

“Is it not obvious? We are dining here today.” He quickly walked inside, Cecil rushing to keep pace with him.

“But Camus-senpai, this is an Agna restaurant.”

“I’m well aware. Do you not think I meticulously research before I go anywhere?” He approached the host and informed him he had a reservation, and the host led them to a table. 

“But Agna food is…really hot,” Cecil cautioned as he settled into a chair, remembering how Camus had reacted to the pepper chocolates.

Camus waved away the concern. “Nevermind that. Just enjoy the food.”

“A-alright.” Cecil looked at the menu and pointed at one of the pictures. “Here, this dish is probably the least spicy. And it’s really good, at least when I’ve eaten it in Agnapolis!”

“I do not require help in selecting my own food,” Camus sniffed, nevertheless ordering the aforementioned dish when the waiter came to take their orders. It did not escape either of their notice that the waiter left a large pitcher of ice water on their table along with their food when it arrived.

“I do not see why we need this,” Camus indicated the water pitcher.

“It does save on calling for drink refills,” Cecil replied, leaving out the part where the waiter probably guessed the Silk Palace native was unused to spicy food.

“I suppose,” Camus said, taking a bite of his dish. It was not nearly as spicy as those infernal chocolates, but he still took a sip of water after he swallowed the food. After his tongue cooled a bit, it was actually quite delicious, as Cecil said. “It has been a while since you last ate food like this, has it not?”

“Yes, yes it has. I really like Japanese food, but having food from home is nice too. There’s a place near the school that serves Agna food, but this is even more like the food I ate back home.”

“It seems I made a prudent selection then.”

The prince widened his eyes, as if remembering something. “Oh, I should take Ranmaru-senpai here sometime! He loves meat, and I’ve always wanted to introduce him to Agna food!”

Camus grit his teeth. “Well. I’m sure he’ll eat just about anything. It’s not as though that peasant has a particularly discerning palate.”

Cecil caught the curtness in Camus’s voice, which was noticeable even through his usual abrupt tone when not in his butler idol persona. “Oh, but I really appreciate you taking the time and effort to find this place and take me here!”

The blonde narrowed his eyes. “You do not need to try to ply me with empty platitudes.” 

Camus had directed his gaze at the table, but looked up when the man sitting across from him reached over to take hold of his hands. “No, I mean it! I’m happy to have the chance to spend time with you like this! No lectures, no assignments, just…us, together like this.”

Despite himself, Camus found himself feeling moved by the sincerity in the younger man’s eyes. “I’m…glad you’re enjoying yourself, then.”

Cecil knew Camus was not one for putting words to his true sentiments, which made his actions speak all the louder. He knew his senpai was not one to go out of his way for someone else frivolously. Still, he was curious. “Why did you go through all this trouble for me?”

“You have shown improvement in your work ethic. I simply wanted to reinforce that.”

The tan idol tilted his head. “Is that it?”

Again Camus pretended the table was particularly fascinating. “Does there really need to be anything else?” 

The prince fixed him with a soft smile. “It’s OK, Camus-senpai. I understand, even if you can’t bring yourself to say it out loud.”

“D-don’t talk like you know everything,” he replied even as he cursed himself for getting flustered over such a minor thing and Cecil for his infuriatingly keen insight.

“Camus-senpai.” Hearing his name caused him to look back up at the one who said it. “I’m sorry about the chocolates.”

“It was foolish of you to blindly trust Kurosaki and Kotobuki. But…I can see your intentions were sincere, and the effort you put into them was evident. If idol work doesn’t pan out you could always be a chocolatier.”

Cecil blinked at him. “Was…was that a…uh…?”

A small smile rose on Camus’s lips. “Heh. Believe me, if something was meant to be an insult, you would know.”

“It’s true you’ve never been one to mince words.”

“An idol must speak with purpose,” the butler idol replied before he got up to settle the bill.

Once they were outside, Cecil turned to Camus. “Thank you for tonight, Camus-senpai! Let’s do this again sometime!” 

Camus paused for a moment. “Well, if you…maintain the level of diligence you are exhibiting now, I suppose arrangements could be made.”

“You’re the best, Camus-senpai!” Before Camus could reply, Cecil had pulled him into a hug.

“You’re embarrassing,” Camus grumbled as he returned the hug.

**Author's Note:**

> My first Utapri fanfiction! I was sad to see a lack of Camus/Cecil (and Cecil/Ranmaru), so this was my little contribution. I hope you enjoyed!


End file.
